The story of Jehoshaphat in this week’s lesson reminded me how we are taught to go to God for all our needs no matter how fearful things appear, like the poor Judeans.(II Chronicles 20) They found themselves needing to confront and army of their enemies that was clearly much more numerous and powerful than they. As Spurgeon talks about this in one of his sermons, “their immediate resort was to God. They do not appear to have looked up their armor and their swords with any particular anxiety. The fact was that the case appeared so hopeless, that is was no use looking to anything beneath the skies, ..as they were driven from all manifest earthly resorts, they were compelled to lift up their eyes to God.”
What did they do first? They asked for help, expressing their confidence in God, “And said, O Lord God of our fathers, art not thou God in heaven?…..and in thine hand is there not power and might, so that none is able to withstand thee?”
Then they sought God, pleading His past acts.
Next they expressed their confidence in God, “If, when evil cometh upon us,…thou wilt hear and help.”
They received a fresh assurance of God’s goodness from a new prophet, Jahaziel, who said “Be not afraid,…. Ye shall not need to fight in this battle: set yourselves, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord with you. The Lord will be with you”. God was quieting His people’s fear through His Prophet.
Afterward they worshipped, but why did they? They were not delivered, but they were sure they were going to be. Encouraged by Jehoshaphat, “…Believe in the Lord your God, so shall ye be established; believe his prophets, so shall ye prosper.”
Then the peopled marched out toward their enemy singing and praising God only to find out that the enemy had destroyed themselves through their own distrust of each other and the confusion this created.
After that they had rest, “So the realm of Jehoshaphat was quiet: for his God gave him rest round about.”
What a wonderful lesson about the true peace one feels when spirutally understanding God. Thank you